Rugby:Connacht have opted to keep their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final with French kingpins Toulon at the Sportsground, eschewing a possible switch of venue in favour of their traditional Galway base.
The province had the option of moving the glamour fixture to a larger venue, with Thomond Park in Limerick the obvious choice, but a decision was taken to keep the match at a ground opposing teams have no love of visiting.
The tie will provide the curtain raiser for an enormous weekend of European semi-finals, kicking of at 7.45pm on April 30th. As it stands, the Sportsground has a capacity of around 6,000 and temporary stands are likely to be erected in order to squeeze as many fans as possible into the ground.
While local fans may struggle to get their hands on tickets, captain John Muldoon explained in the wake of last weekend’s win over Bourgoin that it made sporting sense to keep the match in Galway.
“The game will be played here,” he insisted at the time. “We will sit on the field in protest if we have to. Nobody likes coming here, we know that. So why would we give them the advantage of a nice big ground, dressing rooms, all that?”
And Connacht will need every advantage they can muster against a French outfit dripping with international talent.
“Toulon would probably be regarded as the top seed of the four left but the home draw, which was earned through performances, is a huge advantage to us,” explained coach Michael Bradley.
“It will be another great day for Connacht rugby and we will be giving it everything we have to reach the final.”
Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals
Friday, April 30th
Connacht v Toulon, Sportsground, 7.45pm (Live on Sky Sports)
Saturday, May 1st
Wasps v Cardiff, Adams Park, London, (Live on Sky Sports)